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The Illuminated Gospel of St John

by ycombinete on 4/19/25, 2:32 AM with 35 comments

  • by jfengel on 4/23/25, 1:30 AM

    That is indeed stunning. John is the most poetic of the Gospels. The King James translation isn't especially accurate, but it's powerful. It deserves a good illuminated edition.

    I'd love a set of annotations of the inspirations for each illumination. Medieval illuminations are heavily coded and full of allusions that would go over my head.

  • by credit_guy on 4/23/25, 3:35 AM

    For those who live in or visit New York City, a little known gem worth checking out is a mini-museum inside the New York Public Library in midtown, next to Bryant Park. It is a single room, called "Treasures". Here's an illuminated manuscript from the 1300's [1].

    [1] https://imgur.com/a/qPnpP40

  • by iterateoften on 4/23/25, 4:37 AM

    I thought this was the St John’s Illuminated Bible a much more comprehensive and awe inspiring work out of the St John’s abbey in Minnesota.

    https://saintjohnsbible.org/

    Its a beautiful and modern interpretation of how an illuminated work would be done today. Even has Jesus wearing jeans.

    Each bible is commissioned and done by hand, so a bit more than a $35 book the link is referring to.

  • by brudgers on 4/20/25, 7:15 PM

    Brought Robert Crumb's Book of Genesis to my mind. Maybe not your mind.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Genesis_(comic)

  • by harepods on 4/23/25, 1:46 AM

    In an era where handwriting has atrophied significantly (read: mine especially), I am heartened to see such precision and artistry.

  • by ForOldHack on 4/23/25, 5:47 AM

    I was interested in calligraphy since a young age, by having my brothers friends father being a very famous calligrapher as well as an interest in illuminated manucripts.

    I was in LA and wanted to visit the Getty to just see the building, when we found out that there was an exhibit on illuminated manuscripts. I spent an hour looking at the archicture and the rest of the time looking at the entire exhibit, until the staff insisted that we must leave. Sorry. I absolutely lost all track of time.

  • by rdtsc on 4/23/25, 3:42 AM

    Some of artist's work: https://www.calligrafee.com/en/gallery/

    She also did an illuminated psalter in French, that one is available by special order only it seems: https://www.calligrafee.com/en/illuminated-psalter/

  • by AStonesThrow on 4/23/25, 2:43 AM

    It only costs £35! Here I was expecting hundreds, thousands!

    How elaborate or precious can it be, if this costs about the same as a typical mass-produced Bible?

  • by karaokeyoga on 4/23/25, 2:56 AM

  • by anothereng on 4/23/25, 1:08 PM

    a catholic version of this would be great

  • by BiteCode_dev on 4/23/25, 4:28 AM

    I wonder if this article was about an illuminated quran if it would have reached HN front page.

    Religious scriptures for sale feels really weird on HN either way.